Fri. 2/24/17, Is Anyone Having Dinner?

[Greg Who Cooks]

Well you are making me feel better about ignoring the lists and not wasting my money buying organic food at the market.

Even worse, a lot of that organic stuff looks sickly. Maybe it's part of the "if it tastes bad it's good for you" school.

Maybe people buy organic food because of emotional reasons, because of belief systems related to "we are destroying the environment" rather than because of scientific facts. Buy organic and you are doing your share to save the environment?

Like the whole global warming thing. I've been wondering, if not for man and man caused warming, if there were no humans on the planet, would Earth's climate be currently undergoing global cooling? -- Would anybody care?

Thanks for the info.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...Restaurants are mostly noisy places that annoy me...By the way, I appreciate the feedback.

A hearty Amen to the "noisy". The brewpub we ate at on Thursday was VERY noisy, but the food was excellent and the service was top-notch, so we'll go back again. But not for a while, since we also go out maybe once a month.

No problem on the feedback, either. I'll happily spout off have a dialogue at a moment's notice.

About the global climate change thing? That's a topic probably best left for another social website, unless the mods are willing to allow a most-spirited debate in the Off Topics forum. After all, climate effects plant growth which then effects food choices, and, hence, cooking.

 

[GotGarlic]

Well you are making me feel better about ignoring the lists and not wasting my money buying organic food at the market.

Even worse, a lot of that organic stuff looks sickly. Maybe it's part of the "if it tastes bad it's good for you" school.

Maybe people buy organic food because of emotional reasons, because of belief systems related to "we are destroying the environment" rather than because of scientific facts. Buy organic and you are doing your share to save the environment?

Like the whole global warming thing. I've been wondering, if not for man and man caused warming, if there were no humans on the planet, would Earth's climate be currently undergoing global cooling? -- Would anybody care?

Thanks for the info.

You're welcome. Many people do make a lot of decisions based on emotion rather than science. Organic farming is not better for the environment, either. Because it uses less effective, "natural" chemicals, there is less yield per acre, so it takes more land to get the same yield.

 

[caseydog]

It's not more healthful than conventional food, despite what the Big Organic propagandists say.

I buy some organic foods, and not others. I buy organic milk because it flat out tastes better. The fact that it has a much longer shelf life is a bonus.

I also buy organic eggs. Again, they taste better and last longer in the fridge.

I have no problem at all paying extra for a better product. If you like milk, and have never tried organic milk, you need to try it. It really tastes better.

I have absolutely no problem with GMO foods. GMO crops can be a very good thing, except when the genetic modifications lead to unintended consequences. For example, when Roundup resistant corn leads to the evolution of "super weeds." Google it.

To me, nothing is an either/or, black/white food choice. You have to keep an open mind, and try things.

CD

 

[buckytom]

Super weed? Duuuude.

 

[GotGarlic]

I buy some organic foods, and not others. I buy organic milk because it flat out tastes better. The fact that it has a much longer shelf life is a bonus.

I also buy organic eggs. Again, they taste better and last longer in the fridge.

I have no problem at all paying extra for a better product. If you like milk, and have never tried organic milk, you need to try it. It really tastes better.

I have absolutely no problem with GMO foods. GMO crops can be a very good thing, except when the genetic modifications lead to unintended consequences. For example, when Roundup resistant corn leads to the evolution of "super weeds." Google it.

To me, nothing is an either/or, black/white food choice. You have to keep an open mind, and try things.

CD

If you like it and you don't mind paying extra, go right ahead. I just don't like to see people get ripped off because they believe the propaganda, or people feel guilty about eating perfectly good food because they can't afford organic, or people being misinformed about the quality or healthfulness of organic versus conventional.

As a master gardener, I have Googled much many times I am very selective about my sources, though, so I don't just use any random results. I have also sat through classes on botany, soil science, integrated pest management, and others. When I volunteered to do hospitality for our new class of students last week, I got a refresher on plant pathology.

Regarding "super weeds," there is no such thing. It's another propaganda term from people who don't want GMO crops to become popular. Sometimes it's for entirely irrational reasons.

Check out this weed scientist's view: http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2013/05/superweed/

And if you're really interested in the topic, you might like this: http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...st_them_is_full_of_fraud_lies_and_errors.html

It's very long. Search on the page for the word super to find the discussion of "super" weeds.

 

[GotGarlic]

Too late to edit. I meant to say the *safety* and healthfulness.

 

[Addie]

I buy some organic foods, and not others. I buy organic milk because it flat out tastes better. The fact that it has a much longer shelf life is a bonus.

I also buy organic eggs. Again, they taste better and last longer in the fridge.

I have no problem at all paying extra for a better product. If you like milk, and have never tried organic milk, you need to try it. It really tastes better.

I have absolutely no problem with GMO foods. GMO crops can be a very good thing, except when the genetic modifications lead to unintended consequences. For example, when Roundup resistant corn leads to the evolution of "super weeds." Google it.

To me, nothing is an either/or, black/white food choice. You have to keep an open mind, and try things.

CD

I am with you on the milk. When I had my 4-H kids at the fair, I would go out to the dairy barn first thing in the morning and collect some cream and some milk separately. You could see the steam from the heat of the cow still coming from it. Raw and unpasteurized. You could taste the real milk and cream. Unfortunately, we can't buy raw dairy products in this state unless you have a doctor's prescription.

 

[GotGarlic]

I am with you on the milk. When I had my 4-H kids at the fair, I would go out to the dairy barn first thing in the morning and collect some cream and some milk separately. You could see the steam from the heat of the cow still coming from it. Raw and unpasteurized. You could taste the real milk and cream. Unfortunately, we can't buy raw dairy products in this state unless you have a doctor's prescription.

Raw, unpasteurized milk is not necessarily organic.

 

[Addie]

Raw, unpasteurized milk is not necessarily organic.

Maybe not, but it sure tastes better than the pasteurized milk.

 

[GotGarlic]

Maybe not, but it sure tastes better than the pasteurized milk.

Okay, but the topic was organic food. CD said he likes organic milk and you said, "I'm with you."

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I haven't had fresh, "sqozen" from the cow milk in over a half century, since I visited my great grandfather's farm in central California. First and last time I milked a cow myself.

Can't say I was impressed. But I can say everybody should try milking a cow at least once in their life.

Thanks but I'll take my 2% in a bottle with a sell-by date.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Raw, unpasteurized milk is not necessarily organic.

Maybe not, but it sure tastes better than the pasteurized milk.

The flavor is more dependent on what the cow eats rather than whether the milk is organic/non-organic or pasteurized/non-pasteurized. When our favorite dairy was still bottling just its own milk, rather than blending it with the milk from other farms, it was very rich and tasty. So rich, in fact, that when Goober was visiting us he would take from whichever milk bottle had more in it. At that time, Himself was drinking "rich-and-creamy" 2% and I drank skim. After Goober put the bottle back he sipped his milk, opened the fridge door and took the bottle he poured from out, and looked at me. "THIS is skim? REALLY skim?" He was surprised that it actually had a great flavor!

Since the dairy now sells the blended milk, Himself and I both drink 2%. From the grocery store. Not as good as that skim. *sigh*

 

[Addie]

Considering these were cows that were raised from a calf to having a calf of their own, and spending most of their growing days out to pasture once they stopped nursing, I would say they were dang close to organic as possible. The only time they spent in the barn was for milking. Once in the morning and outdoors they went. Come back in at five p.m. for their second milking. Even in the winter. You don't even have to go out and bring them in for that second milking. Their bags are quite full. To the extent that some of them will be dragging on the ground. These cows seem to have a built-in clock. Come springtime when the majority of the calves are born, the cows do not like to come in so readily. They would rather drop their calf out in the field.

The calves are only allowed to nurse for the first 48 hours. They need that colostrum. To allow them to nurse any longer, ruins the teats. That is where the 4-H kid takes over. They give the calf their feedings by bottle from then on. If the cow drops a bull, depending on their lineage, they head to the fair to be sold. If not, off to the slaughter house. One of my kids sold her three month old bull for $10,000.00. She cried her eyes out. There was no consoling her. She helped deliver that critter and bottle fed him faithfully.

And lesson #1 if you live on a farm or ranch. Never name an animal unless it has lineage.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...And lesson #1 if you live on a farm or ranch. Never name an animal unless it has lineage.

Nope. Lesson Number One is "don't name the animal if you'll end up eating it". Then again, I suppose it's OK to call a steer "Pot Roast" or a pig "HAMilton".

 

[Addie]

Nope. Lesson Number One is "don't name the animal if you'll end up eating it". Then again, I suppose it's OK to call a steer "Pot Roast" or a pig "HAMilton".

Now you sound like Pirate. He would name them Primeribs and Hambone. He has a girlfriend in NH that owns her own farm. She is always trying to get him to move there. As soon as he mentions the names he has picked out for her animals, she drops the subject.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I can appreciate the concept of not not becoming friends with your food.

 

[GilliAnne]

Grilled pork chop, mashed potato, microwaved cabbage, boiled peas and sweetcorn, followed by strawberry yogurt.

Gillian